Inside the design of the Swiss Olympic Team Collection

Words by Robert Birnbaum. Photography by Matthieu Croizier.

“Displaying Swiss diversity was a big part of our initial idea,” says Thilo Brunner, Head of Design at On. The Swiss Olympic Team Collection has been designed by Brunner and the design team, in close collaboration with the Swiss Olympic Team and Ochsner Sport. Here, Brunner explains the craft behind what elite Swiss athletes will wear on the world stage this season.  

Switzerland is a modestly sized European country: The home of 8.6 million people, with 70 percent of the land claimed by mountains. On was born here, among a wide range of cultures with separate languages, customs and geographic barriers delineating them. In the West, French is the dominant language. Central Switzerland mainly speaks German, the South speaks Italian. There’s a lesser-known fourth national language: Romansh. Switzerland comprises 26 different states or “cantons”, each with their own distinct customs.

Every other year, international sporting events like the Soccer World Championships or the Olympic Games physically bring together geographic, cultural and linguistic identities. 

Switzerland will come together as one during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. The Swiss Olympic Team athletes and their custom outfits will embody this diversity and unity in Paris.

Blending the rich tradition of the white cross on a red background with modern design philosophies challenges even seasoned designers like Thilo Brunner. How does one distill functionality and simplicity – two inherently Swiss values – into a single design? With the opening ceremony approaching, he details how his team channeled all their creativity to reference Switzerland’s cultural breadth and depth.

“Switzerland is home to so many languages and cultures in a small area – that was the underlying thought,” says Brunner. “We also wanted to play with the customs of the different cantons.”

Brunner mentions the so-called ‘Kantönligeist’ (Swiss-German for ‘provincial spirit’) as one of these inherently Swiss conventions. 

“Switzerland is known for its astute sense of humor. Swiss people don’t always take themselves too seriously. Like when it comes to the Kantönligeist – how each canton has at least as strong of an identity as the country itself. But during the Olympic Games, none of that matters and the collective identity gains traction. Suddenly, it’s only about representing Switzerland.”

Born Swiss himself, Thilo Brunner knows this wind of change. As the leading designer during the early years of On, this will be his second Swiss Olympic Team Collection. A useful experience. After all, the new collection aims to find a progressive angle and stay true to Swiss tradition.

The inspiration: the 26 cantonal flags of Switzerland. Blending 26 different color schemes and crests into one design is quite a challenge, as Brunner confirms: “One approach was to calculate the exact average color of all flags. But ultimately, we landed on a playful interpretation of how the cantonal colors merge. To highlight their colors and variety.”

Between the many alternatives, Brunner’s team never lost sight of the ultimate goal. 

“Some of the concepts stayed true to the traditional colors with different shades of red. From our perspective, those ideas were neither the original Swiss red and white, nor an unexpected, new approach. The final design we landed on proved to be both unconventional and unambiguous. We appreciate the colorful flair, the optimistic expression.”

At the center of the Swiss Olympic Team Collection design lies the so-called “flare” – a gradient-like graphic representing all cantonal flags. On first sight, it might appear far removed from the traditional Swiss team uniforms. But the heart of this design encompasses a collective identity, as Brunner dissects.

“The Swiss cross and the Swiss Olympic insignia is always white on a red background. Always making up the center of the graphic. But zoom out from here, and you’ll discover the colors of the different cantons.”

When flare and logos were set, there was still much designing to be done. Olympic athletes need outfits for a multitude of moments and purposes. Aesthetics and representation rule during the opening ceremony and on the podium. Traveling and warm-ups call for comfort and functionality. However, one motif stretches throughout all outfits: individuality.

“The single looks couldn’t be more different. The athletes receive a full kit with suggested pairings for certain events. But they maintain full flexibility on how they combine the pieces. Everybody can find their sweet spot. Whether they sport a jacket or not, whether they add a cap. Athletes can dress in almost neutral colors, or playfully vibrant tones. That’s how we achieve a collection that caters to as many athletes as possible.”

“We’re in Paris, the city of fashion. So we want to show more than athletic fits. Especially during the opening ceremony, we infuse the head-to-toe looks with elegance and cheerfulness. The sets for traveling prioritize comfort and street-ready silhouettes. For training, the pieces are especially lightweight and functional. On the podium, they’ll wear a mix of all looks.”

“The collection exudes a strong sense of optimism,” Brunner points out. “I hope we can build a bridge between patriotism and a passionate exchange with the world. And I hope the world sees that, too.”

Brunner hits on a key aspect of design success: the reaction of the athletes, and the world-at-large.

“I create such collections with the knowledge that there will be strong reactions. There will always be people who prefer traditional takes. Others will like modern interpretations better. We like to have an opinion, and to manifest it through design. This opinion should be exciting and not just mirror what we’re used to. With this attitude, we always expect that some will like it and others won’t. I’d rather take that than just work on neutral terrain. Maybe then 90 percent think it’s “OK”, which simply isn’t an interesting position to be in.”

“We don’t anticipate possible reactions. It’s much rather a sense-check throughout the design process. That’s why we create multiple drafts. Design is dialogue. Design is a discussion. A balancing of interests. The process builds a shared opinion.”

With “opinion” Brunner refers to the happy medium between modern and not-too-modern. Between appeal and provocation.

“Everybody has their own individual taste, and that’s good,” he continues. “Everything new and unusual provokes a reaction. As a designer, you develop a sense for which drafts provoke the audience. Certain designs take a while to unfold. You might like them more once you understand their intention. Then you really like them and might even prefer them over something you chose immediately.”

The reaction of the world will be on display on July 26, 2024 at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. Brunner is ready to see the Swiss Olympic Team Collection come alive, when we come together.

“There’s always an individual effect and a multiplier effect. The opening ceremony kit is one of the outfits that looks fantastic on a single athlete. But when it’s seen in repetition, an even stronger effect unfolds. Even better, since not all athletes will wear the exact same look, but get to put their own spin on it. They have freedom in how they combine the pieces. I’m excited to see how it’ll look on hundreds of elite athletes.”

The Swiss Olympic Team Collection is available from May 30, 2024, exclusively through the On webshop and at Ochsner Sport.